Greenwood Max & Erma’s location one of more than a dozen closed in Midwest

The casual dining chain shut down 13 locations in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, saying the restaurants were underperforming. Employees at many of the Max & Erma’s locations found a note saying their restaurant was no longer open.

Senior managers went to each location to deliver the news, and employees were offered severance packages. In Michigan, all but two Max & Erma’s were closed. In Indiana, locations in Carmel, Edinburgh and Evansville remain open.

The first Max & Erma’s opened in Columbus, Ohio, in 1972. In 2009, the chain filed for bankruptcy protection. Tennessee-based American Blue Ribbons Holdings—which owns other chains including O’Charley’s—bought Max & Erma’s the following year.